Tokyo, JAPAN; Nanjing, CHINA - March 1, 2005 --
VA Linux Systems Japan K.K. (VA Linux), a leading provider of Linux
solutions for the telecommunications and enterprise systems markets,
today announced a strategic alliance with Sun Wah Linux Limited (SWL)
to jointly develop a universal Debian GNU/Linux infrastructure and
actively promote the adoption of Debian-based systems in both the
Japan and China markets.
The partnership of the two companies aims to capitalize on the competitive
forces of both VA Linux's second-to-none technological excellence
on server-level applications including the Linux Kernel, and SWL's
rich experience on desktop applications and in-depth knowledge of
internationalization (I18N) techniques, especially for Asian languages.
The synergy of the two core competencies and strong dedication to
Debian development assure a steep rise in the presence of Debian GNU/Linux
in the global market. Furthermore, both firms will in cooperation
promote the adoption of Debian-based systems in both Japanese and
Chinese domestic markets, particularly the telecommunications and
enterprise sectors in Japan and government and public arenas in China.
Currently VA Linux has six official Debian developers, including
Simon Horman, well known for his contribution to the load-balancer
UltraMonkey and the Debian kernel team, and Takuo Kitame, a renowned
developer for his work on GNOME and Mozilla-related technologies.
There are two official Debian developers at SWL, including Roger So,
an I18N specialist and a steering committee member of OpenI18N.
"In Asia, especially in Japan and China, Open Source is getting
huge publicity and is now well-received," said Tetsuya Ueda, President
and CEO of VA Linux in Tokyo. "To promote a truly free and universal
OS such as Debian supports this trend strongly and pushes it further.
We at VA Linux regard Debian as indispensable since it provides our
valuable customers with a practical alternative, which can be freely
used and deployed, and is highly customizable. I am sure that the
strategic alliance with SWL will push Debian one step further, and
considerably facilitate the adoption of Open Source solutions in both
Japan and China."
"The Asia Open Source movement is gathering momentum for the next
stage of explosive growth. Co-operation is the essence to achieve
success in any given open source project. I am excited about joining
forces with VA Linux of Japan to further accelerate Debian development.
Aside from technological discoveries and strategic marketing, the
partnership also allows us to nurture Debian specialists in both countries,
with the aim of doubling the number of official Debian developers
in the near future," said Alex Banh, CEO of Sun Wah Linux in Nanjing,
China.
"The Debian Project is a rock solid open source distribution and
is an inseparable part of the Sun Wah Linux business. It promotes
true open source spirit and offers incomparable values to our customers.
I am seeing a growing number of Debian users in China and I am certain
that the strategic alliance with VA Linux will contribute significantly
to the development and adoption of Open Source solutions in our respective
countries," adds Banh.
About VA Linux Systems Japan K.K.
Founded in September 2000, VA Linux Systems Japan K.K. (VA Linux),
which has based its operations on the development of Linux and Open
Source, has become one of the premier providers of Linux kernel, technological,
and software solutions in the Japanese domestic market. From March
2004 onward, VA Linux has been the recipient of funding from NTT Comware
and NTT Data. VA Linux is currently at the forefront of implementing
Linux solutions for telecommunication and enterprise system markets.
http://www.valinux.co.jp/en/
About Sun Wah Linux Limited
Sun Wah Linux Limited is an independent open-source software developer
and solutions provider for Linux-based systems. By establishing a
solid foundation for Linux development in Asia, Sun Wah Linux provides
customized solutions; training and education; seamless integration;
and development tools that accelerate the acceptance of open-source
software development and deployment in the region. The Company aims
to be the leading open-source solutions provider in Asia.
http://www.sw-linux.com/
For more information, please contact Ying CAO, sales and marketing
executive, Sun Wah Linux Limited (Email: ying.cao@sw-linux.com)
Endorsement:
Xie Zhengyi
Deputy Director of Jiangsu Information Industry Department
"We always attach great importance to the cooperation of Chinese
and Japanese enterprises in technology and application fields, especially
IT core technology. I believe the cooperation between SWL and VA Linux
will accelerate not only the application of Linux and Open source
software, but also better communication between the two nations within
the IT industry."
Kunshan Hu
China Software Industry Association
Vice Chairman and Secretary General
"With their own abundant advantages and resources in Linux, CSIA
supports Chinese and Japanese software enterprises to deeply develop
technological collaboration, and we believe the cooperation between
VA Linux and SWL can promote Linux technology in both countries."
Hironobu Nagano
Senior Vice President
Exective Manager, Open Source Software Dept.
NTT Comware Corporation
"NTT Comware enthusiastically welcomes the strategic alliance
between VA Linux and SWL. We expect the cooperation between VA Linux
and SWL will accelerate not only the expansion of the Linux market
in Asia but also producing outstanding engineers who have deep knowledge
of Open Source Software (OSS). NTT Comware is a leading provider of
enterprise-level Linux solution in Japan, and has been vigorously
involved in several important activities (including the Japan OSS
Promotion Forum and the Northeast Asia OSS Promotion Forum) for nurturing
OSS engineers and building up cooperation in the OSS field between
Japan, China and Korea. SWL is, like us, a major member of the China
OSS Promotion Alliance and has been eagerly seeking to establish cooperation
between Chinese academic, business, and governmental circles. SWL
is one of our key partners in the aforementioned efforts to promote
OSS in Asia. NTT Comware believes that the cooperation between VA
Linux and SWL will certainly accelerate the acceptance of OSS in both
Japan and China. Moreover, we are sure that it will greatly contribute
to produce many world-class Asian OSS engineers in future."
Shin-ichi Yamada
Senior Vice President
Chief of Open Source Development Center
NTT Data Corporation
"NTT Data heartily welcomes the strategic cooperation between
VA Linux and SWL. We expect that the adoption of GNU/Linux and Open
Source software in the northeast-Asian enterprise market will be significantly
accelerated. Also, we consider that this move is crucial for nurturing
engineers and vitalizing the global community of OSS developers, which
will in turn enable us to bring more reliable, enterprise-level system
foundation to our customers."
Contact
Takako Iizuka
Public Relations
VA Linux Systems Japan K.K.
phone: +81-3-3293-5151
fax: +81-3-3293-5152
Email: mktg
valinux.co.jp
